Is this seller's description reasonable ?

[sheepherder]

That seller has been the subject of much discussion on this & several other forums...Mostly concerning the descriptions and prices...

They seem to have a large selection of 'fix-er-uppers'/parts guns...

[silverknife]

You'd think that an outfit which deals so many guns on an internet auction site would post pictures which are in focus, properly lit, and show important details of the piece both assembled and dissasembled.

Poor qulaity photos always make me hit the "back" button.

Regards,
Doug

[ithacaartist]

Came across this one the other night.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=236418263

I emailed:

"I am interested in this Luger. Your listing describes it in part: "There is
no rust or pitting on the metal and the bore is very good." However, either
that description is incorrect, or you have posted incorrect photos of the
gun. I see what appears to be rust on the grip straps, and if there isn't a
big honking pair of pits on the side plate, I'll eat my hat! Rusty looking
barrel, too... If it's the photos, re-shoot them.
If you can get your photos to match the description, I'd take a chance on
this one. If you're selling it without an inspection period, I would bid
$1k--after your permission, of course, because it would be my first G.B.
purchase."...

He responded:

"$1000.00?
Don't waste my time."

Uh-oh, I had apparently insulted him with my opening bid. so wrote back:

"You misunderstand.

1 Grand, based on this ad, these pics, and no inspection period. I'd entertain way more, but this is like buying a pig in a poke, please understand.

I have no idea what your reserve is, but I am not surprised that it is not met by the current bid. The gun is worth quite a bit more. Just how much more is determined by its condition. The condition you describe is not borne out by your listing. Bottom line.

You say all the numbers match, let's see the thing taken down and documented. You say no rust or pits, let's see pics that don't make it look rusty and pitty. I don't mean to be argumentative, just informing you of what my issues are with this piece.

It seems like everybody that tries to sell a luger thinks it is rare and worth a fortune. Are you a member of the Lugerforum.org? Sign up, submit comprehensive photos, and get some pricing advice from guys who know Lugers inside and out, if you're going to be selling Lugers or Luger stuff.

I have plenty to learn about Lugers, but have foremost studied the market for several months straight to determine what's what with how much I should pay for a Luger these days. I'm certainly in the low end of the market, with a budget up to 2k for this purchase. Assuming your Luger is "correct", it would, in my estimation, definitely fall within this limit. If we're not close after this, then let me know, and I will respectfully fade into the sunset in due course.

Thank you again for your patience."

And, gosh, I never heard back. So now I'm wondering about how I handled the whole thing. It was an inadequate listing, no? The photos were bad, no? The guy was unwilling to work with me at all, no? Bottom line is that what would have been my initial bid was not even reached by anyone else, and he did not sell his gun! I'm annoyed by his accusation that I was wasting his time, particularly because it was he who wound up wasting my time. If the description had been accurate, was my ballpark of $2k that far off?!

These past few months of intense study of Lugers and their market have reinforced my realization that I'm new to the area and still know very little despite being a relatively quick study when I'm motivated. My intent now is just stop thinking about this one, let it go, and move on to a purchase where I'm not given such a hard time, but since I'm new to acquiring a Luger, I'm posting this to see if my GB etiquette can be improved. Please share your thoughts about the gun, the listing, or my approach.

Moderators, I do not mean to hijack this post. I was prompted to write it by the similarities of these listings, as far as bad pics, etc. I realize this is the usual fare from GB. I'm getting tired of nasty uninformative pics, too.

David Parker

(.com, not .org)